We would like to welcome you to The Grange Partnership’s Out of School Clubs. We are very pleased that you have chosen us to care for your children. If you would like to speak to us at any time, please feel free to do so by telephoning Head Office on 01423 509 333.

We look forward to meeting you soon.

Moira and Wendy

The Grange Partnership is a small private business owned by Moira Burns and Wendy Thickett. We opened our first club in 1998 and now own four clubs in North Harrogate. All the clubs are based at school sites and we work very closely with the schools and highly value their support. We are however independent of them and ask that if you have any questions, queries or concerns, you contact the supervisor at your club or follow the complaints and grievance procedure in this pack.

Our Head Office is situated off the canteen at Bilton Grange School and our Office Administrator is Steve Burns. The office is always open Monday to Friday from 9.am until 4pm, but there is usually someone who can help between 8am and 6pm. We have an answer service for times when we are busy with the children.

We welcome all children aged 4 to 11 years old. We never refuse admission on the grounds of race, gender, size, ability/disability, culture, language, religion, belief or family status. We are an inclusive setting and currently care for several families who have additional needs. To enable us to continue to offer our high standards of care we may need extra time to organise resources e. g. staffing or funding to meet any additional needs. We comply with Ofsted standards and all current relevant legislation.

We regard parents as those who are most closely involved with the responsibility and upbringing of the children. When you register with us we will discuss and respect your family values, beliefs and cultural background. You are welcome to talk to us at any time, to review your child’s progress or about anything that may be concerning you. You do not need to make an appointment. The partnerships we develop between staff, parents and family are very important to us and we have an ‘open door’ policy where all are welcome and any information given to us is treated confidentially. We will send you regular newsletters to keep you informed of any changes, interesting events and gossip! Please read them carefully.

To book your child into the club you must complete a booking form. These are available from each club and must be completed and returned to entitle your child to a place. You can fill them in weekly or monthly and as far in advance as you are able to. These are important forms as we use them to complete our registers and work out our staff/child ratios which are Ofsted requirements. They also enable us to us keep track of any changes that occur during any period you have paid for and are used as an extra safe guard if a child does not arrive at a club.

We cannot accept responsibility for your children until they have been brought into the club by a responsible person and ‘handed over’ to the staff. In the past we have had problems with children being dropped off at the gates and not being escorted into the club. Anything can happen between you leaving your children at the gates and them gaining access to the club.

Please observe any road safety markings and signs around your school when parking your car, and comply with the schools individual parking policy when using the club. Please ask your supervisor for details.

Each club has a small team of dedicated staff, led by a qualified Level Three Supervisor, who is responsible for the day to day care of your children. A high adult to child ratio ensures our high standards of childcare are maintained. We always employ the best applicant for the job that is available and abide by all of the current Ofsted regulations. No applicant is excluded on the grounds of race, religion, gender, size, ability/disability, culture, language, belief, age or family status. All potential employees must complete a job application form and pass the vetting and barring procedures (e.g. CRB disclosures) as laid down by Ofsted. We always follow up and check the references provided.

During term time we provide a healthy breakfast of toast, spreads, yoghurts or fruit and a drink for children attending our breakfast club. (You may provide your own cereal if you wish.) In the afternoon a snack is offered at approximately 4pm each day which always includes fruit and vegetable and a wide range of breads. You are welcome to send extra food and drink at any time. Please label everything with your child’s name. We encourage the children to drink plenty and offer fruit juice, milk or water, but do not serve squash very often. Drinking water is available at all times. When the children are eating with us we encourage good table manners, quiet conversation, and ask the children to eat their savoury food first.

During the holidays a light healthy snack is available for children who attend the club from early morning, with a more substantial breakfast available later. This may be toast etc or may include food connected to the current theme e.g. prawn crackers, French bread, exotic fruit and vegetables. Please send a packed lunch in a named lunch box. We have no restrictions regarding what the children can bring but we always encourage healthy eating habits.

At approximately 2.30pm we hold tuck shop selling baking, fruit, savouries, and a small selection of sweets. We make a small charge for this and the money needs to be handed in when you arrive so we can keep it safely. We make a note of each child’s name which will be called out at tuck shop time. This is optional as all children will be given something to eat at this time but it will not be the same as for children who have paid for tuck shop. The proceeds are used to purchase more expensive equipment that the children and staff have particularly requested.

We provide a wide range of activities for the children and work hard to make sure there is always something that will interest everybody. Resources are provided to reflect a balanced view of the world and an appreciation of the rich diversity of our society, provided through our anti – discriminatory framework. Although we do have televisions, computers and playstations, we feel these are activities that the children can do at home, so we prefer them to take part in other more sociable activities such as painting, sticking, playdough, clay, messy activities e.g. shaving foam, cornflour and water, drawing, chalks, sewing and threading, Lego and Duplo, Knex, board games, chess and draughts, dressing up, let’s pretend, cars and garages, trains, tents and dens, dolls and prams.

At all our clubs we play outside in all weather conditions, so it is really important that the children bring suitable clothes e.g. wellies, hats, scarves, warm clothing, rain coats or sun hat and sun cream depending on the season. There is nothing worse when you are 7 years old than not being able to play outside with your friends, in the snow, because "mum didn’t bring your wellies" or "dad left your coat in the car!" If the weather is too bad for us to play outside, all the clubs have access to the school halls for energetic games where we can play bats and balls, hoops, skipping ropes, stilts, sand and water, football, rounders, tennis, cricket, hockey, organised games, swing ball, tig, cars, big trucks, painting and chalks.

In your holiday pack you will be given details of any special activities or themes that have been planned. Some of the holiday activities may come with an extra charge or (e.g. football coaching,) need booking separately (e.g. fish and chip lunch) or need you to send additional equipment (e.g. wheels day or water day) so please make sure that you read everything carefully. Recent popular themes have included:-

Sport’s Coaching, visits from people of local interest e.g. RNLI and Railway Safety, Arts and Crafts, Make your own Lunch, Medieval Times, and Holidaying on a Cruise Ship.

Your children are very welcome to bring their own toys to the club but The Grange Partnership and staff cannot take any responsibility for them and cannot look for 30 lost items at the end of each session! Please name everything your child brings and make sure they know how to look after them carefully.

We want your children to be happy when they are with us and to have a really good time, but inevitably for some children it will take time for them to settle in. Some times there is a honey moon period when the children are very settled and then after a while they become less so. Other children may find the whole experience a little daunting from the very start! Our staff will work with you to find a way to help your children to settle in. In our experience most children do settle eventually and often it is only a matter of finding the strategy that works for them as individuals. Very occasionally though, despite all our attempts to accommodate them, children will remain unsettled, and we may advise you to withdraw them. They may be re-admitted at a later date if it is appropriate.

At some clubs in the mornings, Key Stage Two children may be left unsupervised in the playground for a short time whilst we escort Key Stage one children to their playground. If this applies to your club and your child, you will be asked to complete a consent form. You also have the option for your child to stay with the staff at all times. If you have any questions or concerns, please see your club supervisor.

Each club has its own way of collecting your children when school finishes so please ask your supervisor for details when you visit.

Please note it is the policy at all of the clubs that parents and children are not allowed to return to classrooms or cloakrooms to collect forgotten belongings under any circumstances.

This is for health and safety reasons and due to chemicals and electrical equipment being used by the cleaning staff.

This system means that each child has a special member of staff who they get to know really well and who helps them if anything unusual happens when they are at the club e.g. if they are unwell or upset or need to remember to bring a letter home. All the clubs have a display showing the groups and their Key Workers so parents will know who has looked after their children during the session. The staff will still routinely care for all the children and the supervisor will continue to have overall responsibility.

We comply with all requirements for children who come within this age group e.g. upto 31^st August after the child’s fifth birthday. We keep a folder containing photographs, art work and progress reports which you and your child are welcome to look at or add to at any time.

When you collect your children from the club, you must sign them out in the register and enter the time that you are collecting them. Not only is this to ensure that we know that only authorised people are collecting the children, but it will also be used to calculate any extra fees that may be due.

When filling in your registration form it is important that you complete the section which tells us who will usually be collecting your children. You must also give us a security word that can be used if someone we don’t know needs to collect your children.

We realise that occasionally, due to circumstances beyond your control you may not get back in time to collect your children. If this is before the club’s closing time, please call your club to explain and we will charge you any additional fees. For instance if you have booked your child in until 5pm but are unable to get here until 5.25pm, we would add an extra hour.

If however you have booked your child in until 6pm and you are held up you must let your club know as soon as possible.

When you use the club, your children’s fees must be paid in advance – we cannot wait until your first pay day or until you have received your tax credits. Fees can be paid by debit or credit card using the card machines at all of our clubs, or by cash. We accept many childcare vouchers payments and are happy to help you set up payment by this method. Please ring the office for more details and any account numbers you may need.

We do not accept cheques and we cannot take card payments over the telephone.

If you book your child in to the club and have to cancel a session/s and you give us the required 24 hours notice, you may be entitled to credit if you paid by card. For instance, a child is booked in for Monday to Friday evening sessions during one week. On Tuesday the child is taken ill and does not attend the club for the rest of the week. Credit will be given for the Thursday and Friday but not the Wednesday as this is within the 24 hours notice we require. Credit is not given for cash payments. If you need to cancel a booking when the club is closed, all of the clubs have an answer service and if you leave a message stating the day and time we will count it as part of your 24 hours notice when appropriate.

We have special rates and offers on from time to time, which are only available for the times specified in the offer. If you bring your children to the club before or after the specified times the fees payable will be recalculated at the hourly rate. For instance if the special offer is between 9am- 3pm and you do not pick your child up until 3.30pm the fee payable will be the hourly fee for 6 hours. The same would apply if you brought your child in before 9.00am.

If for any reason your child is going to be absent from the club please contact us and let us know as soon as possible. This will help with any credit you are entitled to and it may make a difference to our staffing levels. All of the clubs have an answer service and the messages are checked regularly, however if you do have a problem contacting them you can always telephone Head Office on 01423 509333 to leave a message.

If your child is taken ill at the club, we will talk to them about how they are feeling and observe their colour and physical symptoms. We may talk to your child’s teacher about how they have been during the day. If their symptoms are minor we will settle them in the quiet area where they can be kept under observation. If their symptoms are more serious or become worse we will contact you to either request that they go home or to gain consent to administer Paracetemol elixir. An ’occasional dose’ medication sheet must be signed when your child is collected. We will only administer non-prescribed medicines for 3 days.

If your child is on a course of prescribed medication please complete a medication sheet before the first dose is needed at the club. This includes medication which your child administers themselves e.g. inhalers or lotions. We keep all medicines in a locked cupboard. As the fridges in some clubs are accessible to the children, antibiotics will be placed in a cool bag before they are locked away to ensure they are kept at a low temperature. You are the best person to decide if your child is not well enough to attend the club, however there are several common illnesses which may affect the other children. Below are our guidelines and what we do if your child has symptoms whilst in the club.

Diarrhoea - is very infectious whilst in progress. If your child has more than two loose stools during the course of the session, we will ask you to keep them away from club until a normal motion has been passed, or forty eight hours have elapsed since the last stool.

Sickness – if your child vomits whilst at the club we will contact you to take them home and ask that they do not attend the club until forty eight hours have elapsed since the last episode of vomiting.

Conjunctivitis – you need to keep your child away until their eyes are no longer pink and the mucous has dried up. We will contact you if your child needs to be taken home.

Chicken Pox – 5 days from the onset of the rash.

Rashes – as the cause of rashes is so wide and varied we will contact you to suggest that you make a doctors appointment.

Head lice – We will tell you if we suspect that your child has head lice. Please follow current school recommendations for treatment.

There may be times when your club supervisor will contact you to ask your advice on a medical situation relating to your child, to ask permission to give Paracetemol elixir, or to give you the opportunity to make a doctors appointment or to collect your child early.

OFSTED regulations require us to keep an incident book where we record any events which cause us concern. Parents will be involved and kept informed at all times. You will be allowed to read any incident in the book which involves your child. In extreme cases we may seek advice from outside agencies.

We provide consistent and clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour, with our staff acting as role models for your children. We reinforce all good behaviour, no matter how small. The behaviour techniques we most commonly use are:-

• Talking to all the children and staff to remind them of the behaviour we expect.
• Involving the children in making the rules of behaviour, games etc.
• "Time out" where the children are removed to a quiet, safe area for a short time.
• The supervisor and child discuss the problem and devise an action plan.
• "Star / sticker charts" when good behaviour earns a sticker every day, until a target is reached and then the child chooses a small reward.
• Behaviour flow charts which are completed by staff and signed by parents
• Temporary exclusion
• In extreme cases permanent exclusion.

We do not tolerate any form of bullying. Children are encouraged to discuss their difficulties openly and to remedy the problem by apologising to the appropriate person.

Children and parents are asked to inform our staff of any incidents which make them feel uncomfortable or intimidated as soon as they happen. We realise that inappropriate behaviour may be the result of other influences e.g. moving home, family trauma, new schools. We will work with you and your child to overcome their difficulty.

We encourage children to think for themselves and we are aware of how adults can influence children’s thinking, feelings and behaviour. All children are respected and valued and their individuality and potential recognised. Children who have been encouraged to question and think about the way people treat each other and to consider the consequences are much more likely to react to and challenge discrimination. They are offered a wide choice of activities and equipment allowing them opportunities to develop in an environment free from prejudice and discrimination. We will cultivate in all children a sense of self worth by offering them all the opportunity to experience success.

We welcome children and their families for whom English is an additional language or who require assistance with verbal and/or written communication. We are happy to help in any way we can, as we have many contacts who we can call upon. We always challenge remarks spoken by adults or children which reinforce prejudice (direct or indirect) on any grounds. We respond to incidents by helping those responsible to understand and overcome their prejudice.

We regularly look after children with additional needs. Every child is cared for as an individual and will have equal access to and choice of all the activities and equipment available. All children are respected, their potential recognised and nurtured. We encourage each child’s identity to emerge and value and enjoy all that they bring to the setting. The majority of children will have additional needs at sometime in their lives even if it is only for a short time. We recognise this and will do all that we can to help them overcome these difficulties. We have access to and work with other professionals from outside the setting when required. To enable us to offer our usual high standard of care we may need extra time to access funding and arrange extra staff depending on each child’s level of need.

We adhere to all Safeguarding procedures which you are welcome to read at any time. We abide by all current relevant legislation. It is our responsibility as professionals to report concerns regarding child protection, NOT to decide whether it is or is not child abuse. We will protect the children in our care from all forms of abuse – physical, emotional, sexual and neglect, and we will protect the staff who care for them.

Any concerns about a child’s welfare will be brought to the attention of the named person above, who will follow the Safeguarding procedures. Ofsted will be informed immediately if any allegation is made against a member of staff.

We will ensure that children are never put at risk while in our care by:

• Maintaining an open environment where children are in view at all times.
• Ensuring that there is always more than one adult supervising the children.
• Building trusting relationships within boundaries which help keep them safe.
• Working in partnership with parents.
• Updating staff child protection training courses.
• We take up potential employees’ references and follow vetting and barring procedures.
• Keeping accurate confidential records of incidents. The incident book will be reviewed annually, and all records are in accordance with Ofsted regulations.
• Not allowing use of mobile phones in the building.

Mobile phones are not to be used in the any of the clubs. This includes staff, children and parents. It may seem a little extreme but we don’t know if the phone is being used for conversation or for taking photographs.

We may seek advice and guidance from the duty social worker by telephoning Social Services on 01423 568 099.

If necessary we will call the police on 0845 60 60 24 7 to contact the Family Protection Team.

We would like to hear when we are doing things well so please let us know when you are happy with the service we provide. We have a file where we keep a record of all compliments which Ofsted like to see when we are inspected.

If you have any concerns, however small, regarding your child’s care, please talk to the supervisor at your club as soon as possible. We can not help if we do not know that there is a problem! Small problems dealt with quickly do not become big ones! Written records may be kept which will be available for you to read.

If you continue to have concerns or are unhappy with the way the problem was dealt with please telephone us at our Head Office on 01423 509333 and ask to speak with Moira and Wendy. Alternatively you may put your concerns in writing and send them to:

If you would like a formal meeting, please make an appointment with Moira and Wendy to discuss your concerns. Written records will be made of the meeting.

If you would like further advice for childcare issues, please contact

We do have other policies and procedures, including an extensive health and safety file which you are very welcome to read if you wish to do so. Please contact your club supervisor to obtain a copy.